Senior School

From the Head of Senior School 

The Paralympics have begun. I was reminded this week that in the London Games of 2012 certain Paralympic events were incorporated into the Olympic Games. There were events for disabled athletes in conjunction with men’s and women’s events. It is a great shame that this has not been done since, and that there still needs to be a distinct, separate Games for disabled athletes.

A friend of mind said to me today; “We have no excuses". I agree - the Paralympics are inspiring simply for the fact that the athletes are there. With the obstacles they have already had to face and overcome, these are impressive people.

Once again it throws perspective on our lives. Once again I want to remind our students, particularly those ATAR-exam bound, how fortunate the vast majority of us are. At stressful times in our lives events such the Paralympics are a great and humbling reminder not to ignore what we too easily can take for granted - they have come at a good time!

VACS

The VACS programme wound up this week. A full write up and review will come in the next few weeks, but for now I simply want to thank and congratulate all our students and staff, and in particular our student leaders who have coordinated things, for the manner in which they have approached these activities. The VACS Arts Showcase, where the students will get to see what each other has been doing, will take place later in the term.

The following students have been awarded Academic Endeavour Awards, see attachment below: 

Mr Mark Bonnin | Head of Senior School 

Hospitality 

Year Ten 

All you need to make delicious Italian gnocchi at home are potatoes, flour, eggs, and a little salt.  Our eager Year Ten students recently enjoyed getting their hands dirty making their own soft and delicate, silky-smooth textured gnocchi dumplings, the old-fashioned way.  The class made four suitable accompaniments for the cooked gnocchi - gorgonzola, alfredo, pesto, and tomato cream sauces.  They shared a round table lunch discovering the unique mouthfeel of this popular pasta dish.

Year Eleven

Customer service is a strong focus of the Certificate II Hospitality course.  Recently the Year Eleven students visited Ace Accommodation to discuss the organisational policies and procedures relating to: customer service standards, designated response times, presentation standards, dealing with customer problems, and recording and reporting customer feedback.  Many thanks must go to the proprietors of the venue for their valuable time sharing their knowledge and experiences with the students.

In the kitchen, our students have worked incredibly hard to design and produce a selection of savoury appetisers served on a spoon, as well as some delicious mini desserts.  They were all a taste sensation and presented beautifully.

Mrs Teresa McAllister | Hospitality Teacher